GMOs, or “genetically modified organisms,” are plants or animals
created through the gene splicing techniques of biotechnology (also called
genetic engineering, or GE). This experimental technology merges DNA from
different species, creating unstable combinations of plant, animal,
bacterial and viral genes that cannot occur in nature or in traditional
crossbreeding.

For consumers, it can be difficult to stay up-to-date on food ingredients
that are at-risk of being genetically modified, as the list of at-risk
agricultural ingredients is frequently changing. As part of

Genetically modified organism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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** Genetically modified organism **

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GloFish, the first genetically modified animal to be sold as a pet

A *genetically modified organism* (*GMO*) is an organism whose genetic
material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques. Organisms
that have been genetically modified include micro-organisms such as
bacteria and yeast, insects, plants, fish, and mammals. GMOs are the source
of genetically modified foods, and are also widely used in scientific
research and to produce goods other than food. The term GMO is very close
to the technical legal term, 'living modified organism' defined in the
Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, which regulates international trade in
living GMOs (specifically, "any living organism that possesses a novel
combination of genetic material obtained through the use of modern
biotechnology").

This article focuses on what organisms have been genetically engineered,
and for what purposes. The article on genetic engineering focuses on the
history and methods of genetic engineering, and on applications of genetic
engineering and of GMOs. Both articles cover much of the same ground but
with different organizations (sorted by organism in this article; sorted by
application in the other). There are separate articles on genetically
modified crops, genetically modified food, regulation of the release of
genetic modified organisms, and controversies.